The Chicago Bears are going to have some holes to fill in 2024, but luckily not as many as they had in 2023. The team has plenty of salary cap space, even after signing Montez Sweat to a large contract extension. One area of need that many fans seemed to be overlooking has always been the safety position. This team has been lucky enough to have found a free safety in Eddie Jackson who has allowed them to ignore that position for the last seven years. Now, it appears that Jackson's time in Chicago is officially coming to an end.
Eddie Jackson was always a potential cut candidate. Both he and Cody Whitehair were the two most likely options to be let go this offseason — a year before both of their contracts were up. Cody Whitehair has fallen off the last two seasons and this year he even looked like a below-average interior offensive lineman. Whitehair is set to earn over $13 million if he sticks around this year, which is too much for a backup guard. If Chicago cuts him, they will save between $9 and $10 million depending on whether he is designated a post-June cut. Eddie Jackson is in a similar financial situation.
Eddie Jackson seems to say goodbye to Chicago Bears fans
The one key difference between Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair is that Jackson was still playing at a starting-caliber level. 2023 was probably his worst season. He has had a couple of years now where he has dealt with some injuries and it clearly showed in the back half of 2022 and 2023. If Jackson were to be kept on the roster in 2024, he'd cost the team $18.1 million against the cap. Cutting him could save the Chicago Bears between $12 and $14 million. It appears that Poles must have given Jackson, or at least his agent, a heads-up that they will not be retaining him in 2024.
Eddie Jackson took to social media with the following posts:
New Beginnings✝️
— Eddie Jackson (@BoJack4) February 9, 2024
From Instagram last night: #Bears safety Eddie Jackson appears to post a farewell message to Chicago. pic.twitter.com/14yJtFROE7
— Usayd Koshul (@usaydkoshul) February 9, 2024
The Instagram story is no longer available, but as you can see from the screen grab above by Usayd Koshul of Bear Report, these two social media posts by Eddie Jackson clearly point to him no longer being on the roster in 2024.
There are a few options to replace Eddie Jackson in free agency and in the mid-rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, but those options aren't great. I thought they might have to stick with Jackson on either his current contract or look to possibly restructure it. That appears not to be happening though and finding a replacement to come in and hold that position down will not be easy. Jackson took over the starting free safety spot in his rookie year and never looked back. The hope now is that he doesn't remain healthy, land with a team in the NFC North, and return to a Pro Bowl level — something we saw at the start of the 2022 season.
As we say goodbye to the best safety this team has seen since Mike Brown — this year's Jeff Dickerson Good Guy Award winner — share a favorite memory on our Facebook wall.